KC Streetcar rail lands in Berkley Riverfront
(Kansas City, Missouri) – Rail delivery is the first sign that construction for the 0.7-mile KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension project is fast approaching.
Rail delivery of 200 tons of 112 Tram Rail began this week for the KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension. The first truckloads arrived on Wednesday, March 1, containing 166 sticks of rail. The remaining 112 Tram Rail will arrive on Thursday, March 2 for a total delivery of 275 sticks of rail. Each rail stick is 39 feet long and weighs nearly 1,500 pounds. The 112 Tram Rail originated from Steelton, Pennsylvania and was transported by truck to be staged at the project’s temporary storage area located just east of the Port KC office at Berkley Riverfront.
“This is an exciting day for our team. Delivery of our tram rail is the first physical sign of our plans to reconnect to our riverfront, and the early delivery will ensure our construction contractor can hit the ground running when they come on board later this summer,” said Tom Gerend, Executive Director, KC Streetcar Authority.
The 112 Tram Rail is a very specific type of rail with a shorter profile. This shorter profile allows it to be installed onto the existing Grand Boulevard Viaduct with minimum impact to the existing bridge structure. The rest of the riverfront extension will use 115# T-Rail, which is the same rail on the downtown streetcar route. Construction of the KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension is anticipated to begin in summer 2023 and the remainder of the rail to be delivered in 2024.
Once complete, the KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension will connect from the downtown line at 3rd Street and Grand Boulevard in the River Market to the midway point of Berkley Riverfront via the Grand Boulevard Viaduct. The Kansas City Streetcar Authority, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Port KC and the City of Kansas City, Missouri are partnering to deliver the project.